MY MEDALLION
If you’ve never spent time in London, Ontario you’ll likely be surprised to discover just how much this city has to offer. While it’s known to be the home of some great post-secondary schools, it has a lot going for it in many other respects too, including a thriving local economy and great healthcare. Sometimes referred to as the “Forest City”, there’s also a lot of lovely green space to enjoy. Here are just a few reasons why London, Ontario is a great place to live.
It’s A Smaller City, With All Of The Big City Amenities
Sometimes when you move to a smaller city, you have to sacrifice certain comforts. In London, however, everything you could need is here—it is, after all, Canada’s 11th largest city. In 2022, the current metro area population is 515,000 and according to projections from the United Nations’ World Population Prospects, it is only expected to increase. This southwestern Ontario city is also well located and is just a two-hour drive from Toronto, Niagara Falls, and Windsor, and just under an hour and a half from Kitchener/Waterloo.
It Is Home To Many Great Places To Work
There’s no shortage of great places to work in London, as the city is home to a long list of well-known businesses. Some of the biggest employers in the area include the University of Western Ontario (the city’s fourth largest employer, with 4,000 full-time faculty), Amazon, Google, Starbucks, Walmart, Deloitte, Cargill, and Apple. In fact, nearly every industry is represented here, whether it’s banking and financial services, insurance, tech, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, or hospitality and tourism. Opportunities abound and companies are always looking for talented professionals.
Excellent Healthcare
The healthcare community in London is large, with many places you can go to receive great care. The area is home to three main hospitals: London Health Sciences Centre, Victoria Hospital & Children’s Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, and they serve all of Southwestern Ontario. London is also home to the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, which is part of the University of Western Ontario. The city and its residents take their direction from the Middlesex-London Health Unit. Healthcare practitioners from every field and specialization can be found locally; you can visit a walk-in clinic, find a doctor, or locate a dentist with ease.
Reputation For High-Quality Post-Secondary Schools
The University of Western Ontario is pretty much synonymous with the city of London, thanks to its 144 years of history in the city. At Western, you can choose from over 400 combinations of undergraduate majors, minors, and specializations; it offers 88 different graduate degree programs as well. Fanshawe College is another big draw for post-secondary students, as it offers more than 200 degrees, diplomas, certificates, and apprenticeship programs. At Collège Boréal you can choose from more than 80 postsecondary programs that represent a variety of fields, including healthcare, business, agriculture, the environment, and much more.
It Has An Array Of Interesting Restaurants And Small Businesses
The city actually offers both; you’ll find all of your favourite big chain restaurants here, as well as a number of exciting independents. There’s lots of culinary diversity too, with foods and ingredients from all over the world. The same goes for small businesses, so we encourage you to shop local whenever you can. Find It In London has terrific suggestions for entertainment, shopping, services, and dining out.
These are just a few of the many reasons why London, Ontario is a great place to live; you’re sure to discover many more of your own. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to follow the Medallion blog for more tips on making the most out of Forest City living.
